Every Step
by Nyodrite
Summary: [Post-Invasion of Pain Arc AU] "Why-" Kakashi looked up then froze, "...Rin? Sensei? Tōsan? What?" Tenzo spoke then, "It seems that Nagato accidentally resurrected them also."
1. Prologue

**Prologue:  
**** Homeward Bound**

* * *

Kakashi allowed Naruto to have his moment as a hero, exactly fifteen minutes, as he moved silently through the crowd as he sought out people he deemed necessary- Clan Heads, Division Heads along with the civilian leaders of trade, agriculture and industry- before turning his attention to his students.

Sai merely needed a hand signal before he fell into step beside Kakashi and, after a moment of deliberation, he sent the teen to get Naruto as he went to where Sakura was speaking hurriedly to Shizune. Grabbing their attention by brushing past them, he gave a murmured prompt of "Shizune, Sakura- if you'll come over here?" before going to the tree line where the rest of the group was gathered.

"First thing- Sakura, are there any injured?" Kakashi asked, skillfully ignoring and overriding Naruto's arrival amid bickering with Sai.

Sakura, looking a bit worn and harried, answered immediately, "Yes, Katsuyu told me that Tsunade-shishō only concentrated on life-threatening injuries so she could conserve her chakra incase she came across more injured."

"What do you need?" he pressed.

The teen rolled her shoulders back, straightening in a subconscious way that made her feel more in control, "A place for the injured for one, supplies for two and helpers for three- there are too many for us to look at."

"Will barracks work for now?" At her nod he turned to his kohai, "Tenzo- go with Sakura and make her a barrack to her specifications. Sakura, get the genin and both the Academy teachers and older students to help you- I recall first aid being a requirement, if anything they direct people where they need to go."

His lone female student's shoulders sagged slightly in relief, "Yes, sensei."

"Shizune, I need you to make a list of all supplies you need immediately so that we can send Gai and Lee to Suna to get what they will give us." Kakashi told the woman.

Naruto interrupted then, "Gaara will _definitely_ help out."

"Then I will need a list of what you will need in the long term, where we can find it and the estimated cost that it will be." he continued.

"Of course Senpai." the medic nodded before scurrying off to where Tenzo had made a large, one-story barrack for a make-shift hospital.

Then he turned his attention to his excitable student, "Naruto, I want you to coordinate with the Akimichi," he noticed Chōza straighten slightly at his clan's name. "And get to work clearing out the rubble."

"We'll get it done in no time, Sensei- _dattebayo_!" Naruto assured before dragging Chōza, whom humored the teen.

Now Kakashi focused on the Inuzuka Clan Head, "Tsume-san can you and your clan do a sweep over the area to make certain that Tsunade-sama didn't miss anyone then work out a perimeter within fifteen miles of here- who knows how other villages will react when they learn that Konohagakure has been destroyed?"

"Sure thing, gaki." The Inuzuka agreed, loping off towards her children with a loud, "Oi! Brats!"

A quick look over the others showed him that the civilians were getting a bit angst-y, thus he decided to address them first, "Hitomi-san, I want you to get me a list of every trade agreement we have- I want to know what we've sent out, what we've received, what we are suppose to send out and what we are going to receive. Harada-san, I want you to find what salvageable food we have- divide it into what we can use now and what we will be able to use in the long term- then make me a list of everything we will need to keep everyone fed. Kotara-san, get to work on a list of everything we will need to restart production. Harada-san and Kotara-san, I want both of you to include an estimated budget with your lists."

"Should we be referring to you as Hokage-sama?" Shikaku questioned, eying him shrewdly.

Kakashi withheld a sigh, "Tsunade-sama is a perfectly capable Hokage."

"She is in a coma." The Nara pointed out. "We need a leader now and you seemed to have stepped up for the job."

This time he _did_ sigh, "Worry about that later, we have work to do now. Tenrō, Ōkami," he addressed the Oinin and ANBU Commanders. "Set up an outer perimeter from twenty to thirty miles out, you guys will be our first line of defense for now- if any hostiles, deal with them how you judge is best."

"Yes, _Taichō_." The ANBU Commander responded before the two left.

A moment's thought had Kakashi recalling that the current commander happened to have been one of his kohai- Nemoto if he recalled correctly- before he pushed the tidbit away to focus on the current situation. "Hiashi-san, can your clan search out any important documents and scrolls that may have gotten lost in the destruction?" The Hyūga merely gave a brisk nod in acknowledgement before departing.

"Ibiki, I need you to get a list of who's out of the village, why and where they are- we are going to recall them." He continued. "Sai can help you get out messages and, if Inoichi-san thinks he and his clan are able to possess birds for the required times, so can the Yamanaka."

The former Intelligence Division Commander nodded after a moment of thought, leaving after giving his answer. "We can handle it."

"Shibi-san," Kakashi focused on the second to last person remaining, "I need your clan to use your insects for quick messaging between the lines of defense and to warn us if any group larger then eight is heading towards us." The Aburame left without a word and he focused on the final person. "Shikaku-san, when those lists are finished I am going to need you to go to the Daimyō to see what help he will lend us."

The Nara mused over that a second before responding negatively, "You would be the best person for the job- he will see it as an honor that such a famous shinobi was spared to speak with him and he has great respect for your father still."

The _'And it will make him more likely to choose you, as a person he's personally met, as the new Hokage'_ was left unsaid, after a moment Kakashi nodded, "Alright, I will do it but this means you'll be in charge- that includes informing the Council Members."

His own _'Only if Tsunade-sama is unable to remain as Hokage by the time I return'_ was also left unsaid.

* * *

Hatake Sakumo took all of fifteen seconds to realize that he had been brought back from the dead, inside of his coffin and that he would die once- this time through suffocation- more if he didn't get himself back above ground soon. "_Raiton: Shiroi Tsume_!"

Hands encased with white-ish lightning that was shaped vaguely like claws, Sakumo proceeded to dig his way out.

* * *

Nohara Rin woke up in darkness, hands stretching out franticly only to barely get anywhere as if she were in a box- horror hit her as she realized that it wasn't a box but, rather, a coffin that she was trapped in. Calming herself before she could panic, Rin quickly worked through the jutsu she knew- as she was already aware that she did not have the strength to dig herself out- only to realize with dismay that none of what she knew (which was a meager amount in the first place due to her medical specialization) would be of use in this situation.

Setting her jaw before she could let out the panicked scream that had been building, she formed a pair of chakra scalpels- at the very least, she could get herself closer to the surface so that when she _did_ scream, someone would be able to hear her and help her from suffocating.

* * *

Namikaze Minato, as soon as he realized that he was trapped, attempted to use one of his Hiraishin kunai to simply teleport out, only to find that each one was 'dead' and unusable. After a moment's thought, where he recognized that not only was he in a coffin (his own at that, seeing as he _remembered _dying) but that his death had likely disabled all his seals, he started building up chakra, "_Rasengan_!"

* * *

**A/N:**I am a terrible person, I have unfinished stories I need to work on and I am starting another one- I apologize for chasing the rabbits.

This idea was born from a, admittedly creepy, dream of Sakumo digging himself out of his grave after the Invasion of Pain because he was also (accidentally) resurrected when Kakashi was- it goes a bit further by having Rin and Minato (both whom had shown up after Kakashi died and thus would have _some_ kind of lingering presence) also accidentally resurrected.

Who are Tenrō and Ōkami?  
Tenrō is, from what I understand, the Japanese name for the star Sirius meaning "Celestial Wolf" as ANBU already has claim to animal codenames, I decided that Hunter-nin will have star/constellation codenames. Tenrō because it's the brightest star, Ōkami because it won when I was debating on Wolf, Lion and Dragon (incidentally, the two kind of match).

**_Next:_**

_"...-elp!" _

_Minato's eyes widened, "Rin!"_

_..._

_He didn't look up from where he was inspecting the scavenged supplies given to him, "What do you want- I am leaving."_

_Tenzo's voice was dry, though a bit higher then normal- as if he were fighting down panic, "I think you'll want to delay your trip."_

_"Why-" Kakashi looked up then froze, "...Rin? Sensei? _Tōsan_? What?"_

_Tenzo spoke then, "It seems that Nagato accidentally resurrected them also."_


	2. One

**One:  
**** Home Coming**

* * *

It took only two _Rasengan_ for Minato to reach the surface, the first being underpowered as he- rather, his body- remembered how to utilize chakra again. He couldn't say what he had been expecting after digging himself out of his own grave but he was certain that a likewise resurrected Hatake Sakumo staring in mute horror at the surrounding rubble of what was once Konohagakure wasn't it.

"What..._happened_?" He managed after a moment.

This caught the White Fang's attention, "I don't know. Can you sense anything?"

Before he could answer, muffled screaming sounded from near them, "Someone...Please...-elp!"

Minato's eyes widened, "Rin!"

The screaming paused a second before picking up again, "-ensei!? Help! I...get...-ut!"

That was all he needed before he was running to where he knew the girl's grave was, already forming a third _Rasengan_ as he ran- peripherally aware that Sakumo was right behind him. "Hold on Rin!" He told her before attacking the ground, "_Rasengan_!"

* * *

Keeping track of over a hundred copies of the same person proved to be impossible so he resigned himself to simply clearing out the rubble, he didn't expect to find people leaving the cemetery though. For a half second he froze when he caught sight of silver hair and his mouth acted before his brain noted the lack of mask and scarred eye, "Kakashi-senpai?"

All three of them- distantly, he noticed that the blond looked like the Yondaime Hokage and he had to push down the building hysteria he felt- seemed to instantly latch onto that but it was the girl who spoke the quickest, "Kakashi-kun? As in Hatake Kakashi? Do you know him?"

"You're indecent without a mask." He blurted, mind going to the one time he had seen his Senpai mask-less _("I'm wearing pants." "Senpai! Without a mask- it's worse then being _naked_!")_ before pulling himself back together. "Yes- I mean, why do you want to know?"

He almost cursed over how he sounded like a defensive teenager, not-Senpai seemed vaguely amused though, "I am Hatake Sakumo and I would like to see my son."

"Your...son." He managed to stop himself from blurting anything else out like an idiot (it was entirely unfair that one looked like Senpai, though it made sense if the man was his father and _Senpai has a dad which meant he was a _baby_ once_!). "You could be lying."

Forcefully pushing all odd, panicked thoughts out of the way, he thought about a way to ascertain that these weren't enemies and spoke calmly, "I assumed that you all checked to ensure none of you are imposters...Yondaime Hokage, what was Hatake Kakashi's ANBU Recruit ID Number?"

The acclaimed Hatake and the unidentified girl both seemed startled at the mention of Senpai being a recruit of ANBU but the Yondaime look-alike answered easily, "C11M9Tr5-13J."

ANBU Recruit IDs were generally thought of as useless information, things only used briefly when recruits are being trained so that the trainers, Commander and Hokage could tell the difference between them. That said, recruits were allowed to tell other's their ID once they finished training and Senpai's ID had been one of the tidbits of information given when he asked about the man's past.

Relaxing slightly, he introduced himself by the name he assumed Kakashi-senpai was going to order him to go by, "I'm Tenzo."

The Yondaime introduced them despite him knowing two of them, "I'm Namikaze Minato. That's Nohara Rin and Hatake Sakumo." He added, "Kakashi's sensei, genin squad teammate and father."

"I am Senpai's partner for over a decade." He told them before, unable to stop himself, asking, "What was he like when he was younger?"

It was Nohara-san who spoke, telling a tale of a boy whom was extremely ridged and dedicated to the rules- to the point where he practically abused his teammate (apparently it was a genin-chūnin team with Senpai the chūnin) if the Uchiha happened to so much as be _late_.

"Really?" Tenzo knew that he sounded skeptical but he truly _was_, "Senpai acted like that? That sounds nothing like him. I mean," he continued, "I know he enjoys messing with people. This one time-" He cut himself off as he recalled that he was talking to the Yondaime, a little girl and Senpai's _father_. "Anyways. I suppose he grew out of it."

For a second it seemed as if Nohara-san were going to pursue the topic before Namikaze-dono spoke, "How is he as an adult?"

"How old is he?" Hatake-sama added.

He decided to answer the age first, "Thirty. Senpai is..." Tenzo paused as he wondered how to word something he couldn't exactly describe. "Safe."

"Safe?" Nohara-san murmured.

He didn't look to see their reactions, "When he first became a captain he told us," He started, repeating the rather short and unexpected speech Senpai had given. "_'I do not claim to be a nice man, nor a good one- most days I won't even try for a _decent_ one because I am stubborn and get irritated quickly when someone is unable to understand something I find simple- I am a liar by nature, a killer by profession and have had blood on my hands long enough that I know nothing else. But I promise that I will protect you, I will defend you, I will fight with you, I will wage _war_ for you and I will _never_ abandon you- because you are my team.'_"

They had all been startled when Senpai has said that, Tenzo recalled, none of them had known how to respond but Senpai did not require a response and had simply continued on as if nothing had happened. It was something that had stayed with him, echoing loudly during those times when he had gotten captured and becoming something to hold onto- to fall back on because, no matter what, Senpai _always_ came.

"He will be the Rokudaime Hokage." He said, believing it with his entire being because he couldn't see how anyone would refuse to follow a man like Kakashi-senpai.

* * *

Kakashi was sitting at a large, conference-like table that Tenzo had created before going to help with clearing the rubble (and keep Naruto from running himself into the ground helping) with Shikaku to his right as they attempted to organize the mess that the village's destruction had created.

"How is there even paperwork at a time like _this_?" He felt that his disbelief was justifiable considering that people scurried over to either place more papers on the table or give a report. "Where are they even _getting_ the paper for this?"

"You're the one who wanted lists." Shikaku responded idly.

He snorted, squinting at the writing that was on the back of a newspaper, "I only asked for _five_."

"But your orders _implied_ that a list would be necessary." the Nara retorted, accepting a battered scroll from a chūnin Hyūga. "What are you going to do with all the scrolls and documents that the Hyūga unearth?"

Noting that the ANBU were all occupied, Kakashi answered as he discarded the newspaper into the 'trash' pile (why was it necessary to inform him that a cat named _Hanako_ was missing?). "Once the messages are out to recall everyone, I'll have Ibiki get a team together to go through and organize them- I'll reverse summon anything A Ranked or higher until we have a place to put them."

"Here you are Kakashi-senpai." Shizune said, handing over a neatly written list on the back of a white shirt. "It's the only thing we had that would fit."

He accepted the shirt before asking, "Did Gai leave already?"

"Yes, Sai-kun sent him off on a bird as there were shinobi in Kaze no Kuni." Shizune said.

Kakashi handed off the shirt to Shikaku, "Can you send Okino-san here before going to help Sakura in the barracks?"

"Right, Senpai." She said before leaving.

After ten minutes his attention was called to a growing commotion at the tree line, Kakashi asked, "Do you know who that is?"

"Fahn Natori." Shikaku answered after a moment, looking at one of the unoccupied messenger hawk handlers attempting to figure out what to do with the birds that were landing in the tree line.

Nodding his thanks, Kakashi called to the man, "Fahn Natori!"

The brown haired chūnin started but came over obediently, "Hoka-...Kaka-...Hata-"

"Kakashi will do," he interrupted the flustered man whom appeared to not know how to refer to him.

Fahn nodded, "Kakashi-sama?"

"Go to Morino Ibiki and tell him you'll help sending out the messages- also, inform him to come here after all the messages are sent out." He decided to ignore the honorific rather then address it.

The chūnin bowed, "Yes, Kakashi-sama."

Shikaku didn't look up from the book cover he was examining, "Kakashi-sama?"

He very nearly groaned.

"I suppose you will get used to it, Hokage-sama." the man continued idly.

This time he _did_ groan and the bastard laughed at him, with some satisfaction Kakashi noted that the chūnin in charge of getting his supplies was headed towards them, "I think that's me. Good luck with the council."

It might have been petty, but he felt vindicated when the Nara groaned at the reminder.

"Have Okino-san start organizing people to send out for supplies!" he called to the man, "Ask around to see whom has money saved in anywhere outside the village so we can start pulling money for everything together! Tenzo knows of my accounts in Otafuki Gai, Tanzaku Gai and Daikoku- there's 86,450,000 ryō all together!"

He pretended to not hear the sputters at the amount- now all he needed to do was say goodbye to his students, give one last check over the general proceedings, avoid the council members and inspect his supplies before leaving.

* * *

Finding his students was easy, that they were taking part in what he wanted to check up on made things quicker, though the saying goodbye wasn't as simple- neither Sakura nor Naruto wanted him out of their general vicinity with the knowledge that he had legitimately _died_, even Sai seemed mildly uncomfortable about it- but he managed without running into the council (telling Ibiki about organizing the documents and scrolls when he recalled that he had called for him).

Now he was past the tree line, though still within the Inuzuka perimeter, going over his supplies. They were not the best, certainly not up to his usual standards, given that they were worn and all around battered- he would have to use chakra to reinforce the weapons to ensure that they remained effective and hope that he didn't require any soldier pills as he only had _one_.

"Senpai?"

He didn't look up from where he was inspecting the scavenged supplies given to him, "What do you want- I am leaving."

Tenzo's voice was dry, though a bit higher then normal- as if he were fighting down panic, "I think you'll want to delay your trip."

"Why-" Kakashi looked up then froze, "...Rin? Sensei? _Tōsan_? What?"

Tenzo spoke then, "It seems that Nagato accidentally resurrected them also."

"Nervousness then." He noted absently, eyes flitting between the three whom were staring at him unwaveringly- speechlessly, his hands going through signs, **Imposters?**

**Negative. **Tenzo signed back. **Identification confirmed. Recruit ID code.**

Of course, Kakashi thought, Sensei and Tenzo were the only living _(Lies! Sensei's dead- deadeadead)_ people whom knew and bothered to remember his recruit ID number so it would be a good way to verify- assuming that the other two weren't imposters _(Why impersonate the dead?)_.

"You two can't stay here." He realized blankly, pushing down his scrambled thoughts _(Chest-stomach-torso bathed in redredredredred blood. Can't survive, will be- was- are deadeadeadead, bathed in redredredred.)_ because he didn't trust Danzō and who knows what the man would do with this information.

* * *

**A/N:  **Kakashi's freaking out a bit, internally at least, but he has a reason to. Also, the maps I reference are done by deviantart's **_xShadowRebirthx_**[though Daikoku isn't there] which are _amazing_.

What's with the Recruit IDs?  
Well, recruits have to be told apart _somehow_- they can't use their name and haven't earned a codename, thus IDs. For those curious, C11M9Tr5-13J can basically be translated to 11th Candidate, 9th Male, 5th Tracker and Jōnin age 13.

Why didn't Minato mention Naruto?  
He's being practical- he literally sees that the village is destroyed and has no idea if his son survived [I am viewing the whole Naruto meets Minato bit as _memory (_manifested by his chakra) of Minato- essentially Minato up until his death but not connected thus, when Minato is resurrected, he has no memory of their talk] but he _knows_ that Kakashi's alive so he's focusing on that.

Why does Kakashi have so much money outside of Konoha?  
He's a paranoid shinobi whom has taken enough high ranking missions to have a way to make a life for himself should he ever be forced to leave the village. Or do things without the higher ups noticing.

**_Next:_**

_"Take her to Sakura," Kakashi decided, "Tell her who she is if Sakura's alone." He added as an after thought, "Check in with Shikaku-san also."_

_..._

_"You can't ignore us forever." Minato pointed out._

_Kakashi shifted uncomfortably and answered quietly, "No, I suppose not."_

_Sakumo wondered why his son was acting as if he were a naughty child about to be punished._


	3. Two

**Two:  
**** Unbalanced**

* * *

Looking at what had once been ghosts- part of him wondering about the reason Obito wasn't here also since the others had been brought back- Kakashi took a deep breath and took hold of the hectic emotions plaguing him, storing them away to be addressed at a later time when he had the privacy to do so.

That done, he was able to think things through more rationally then he had been earlier and he concluded that his previous declaration of Sensei and Tōsan coming with him had been a good decision- he doubted Danzō had cared enough to remember a chūnin medic that had died years ago but the Yondaime and White Fang were hardly forgettable, this way also allowed him to speak to the Daimyō personally and talk the man over to _his_ position rather then which ever one Danzō would have.

Which left what to do with _Rin_...

"Take her to Sakura." Kakashi decided, "Tell her who she is if Sakura's alone." He added as an after thought, "Check in with Shikaku-san also...and tell him to work out a place for the people to sleep along with to begin planning reconstruction- I think it's about time we live up to our name as 'hidden in the leaves', ah?"

A beat where Tenzo did nothing, the others seeming to start pulling themselves from their shocked states _(Of course they're shocked, you're thirty now)_, as his long time partner tried to ascertain just what his opinion was over this resurrection.

"Tell Shikaku-san about these two so he can start planning how to reintroduce them when we get back- got that, kohai?" He finished, knowing the other knew him well enough to understand the nonverbal _'I am fine'_.

His kohai nodded, "Yes Senpai." Then turned to Rin with a "Nohara-san" before whisking the girl away with a _Shunshin_ before she could protest being left behind- which she _would_ if she was as he remembered.

And then Kakashi was left with Sensei and Tōsan.

_Fuck_. _His. _Life.

* * *

"You are Kakashi-senpai's, yes?" Sai asked, deciding that this would be the only reason for the sudden inclusion of an unknown person into their team (_their team_ brought an odd yet pleasant feeling of knowing that he was considered a part of it).

The girl, Nohara Rin, turned red, "I, uh, he-..."

"Idiot!" Ugly growled, hitting with enough force to make him bend over. "Don't say things like that! Nohara-san, you were on Kakashi-sensei's genin team?"

The girl- he would need to give her a nickname if she were to stick around- nodded, "Yes, I was on Kakashi-kun's team when he was younger-...I mean, when he was a child. Though he wasn't a genin at the time."

"Senpai was a chūnin at the time they were on the same team." Yamato-taichō supplied when Ugly seemed a bit lost.

His teammate nodded then asked, "So you were brought back also? Was it just you?"

The girl shook her head, "Minato-sensei and Hatake-san came back too but they went with Kakashi-kun."

There was a twitch- of irritation?- when she said this but that was all.

Ugly hummed, "So Sensei is off with _his_ sensei and-..."

"His Tōsan." Yamato-taichō concluded as Ugly had no idea know _which_ Hatake it was.

Hatake Sakumo then.

At any other time, Sai would have attempted to gather more information of this unknown element- there was certainly talk of Namikaze Minato and Nohara Rin was present herself to act as a resource- but it was improbable he would find anything with the village as it was, thus a waste of time and effort that could be directed toward helping the village.

He couldn't help but wonder, _what kind of man raised Kakashi-senpai?_

* * *

Sakumo's son was all grown up now and he _ached_ knowing that he had missed it.

The boy was a man now and as tall as Sakumo, dressed in a standard jōnin uniform that was entirely foreign to him when his son donned it and he was almost relieved that the man had kept his mask as it was at least one remainder from the child he knew- even if he _was_ fondly exasperated over his son's insistence on wearing it with no particular reason.

The boy turned man was tense though, excessively so, and attempting to avoid them without seeming to- it was as they made camp for the day that the tension finally cracked one of them.

"You can't ignore us forever." Minato pointed out.

Kakashi shifted uncomfortable and answered quietly, "No, I suppose not."

Sakumo wondered why his son was acting as if he were a naughty child about to be punished, when he spoke it wasn't about anything _directly_ relating to his son. "What happened to the village?"

"...do either of you know _anything_ about the Akatsuki?" The man countered after a moment, continuing at their negative replies. "They are an organization compromised of S-Rank nukenin who's goal is to harvest the biju from all the jinchūriki- the village was destroyed when Pain attacked in an attempt to get the Kyuubi."

Something cold settled in his gut, "One member did that?"

"Technically, Pain was six people controlled by a separate person, Nagato."

Minato, it seemed, did not handle this information any better, "What happened?"

"I don't really know," His son admitted, hesitated then calmly told them, "I died during Pain's invasion."

The previous cold raged into a burning fire and when Sakumo spoke, it was less of a word and more of a snarl, "_What!?_"

* * *

**A/N: **A cliffhanger...but! There was also Sai (who is awesome), a protective Sakumo (which _is_ awesome) and Kakashi had an FML moment (it's potentially awesome?).

What do you mean by "living up to 'village hidden in the leaves'"?  
Well, it's not that hard to figure out but, if you really need the hint, check out _Finca Bellavista _and you'll likely see what's being hinted at.

On another note, What kind of nickname do _you_ think Sai would give Rin?

**_Next:_**

_"You're Sensei's teammate?" Naruto asked, frowning at the girl a moment before grinning. "Well, since Sensei is our teammate and you are _his_ teammate, I guess that means _we_ are teammates. Welcome to Team Kakashi, Rin-chan!"_

_..._

_Either Kakashi had been far less observant as a child or Tōsan was far more protective now then he was then._


End file.
